For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is an increased sensitivity to certain additives (soy, corn sweeteners, sulfates, etc) as well as necessary dietary restrictions; I have been “experimenting” with making down sized recipes – not an easy task for someone who spent time after college in banquet kitchens, so more comfortable prepping for 20 to 2000 than for 2.

Freezing is the easy answer for entrees often an answer when it is just too complicated to really down size a recipe and desserts are a rather different set of challenges.

As a life long fan of breaking down a task so that it can be done in small bits – I have always “pre-measured” and then stored dry ingredients of many “basic” recipes. Some, like pie crumb & Pastry shells, even lend themselves itself to freezing. (by the way, I highly recommend the use of Vanilla powder over extract for just this reason.)

Some ingredients do not lend themselves to freezing and so can’t be included in the assembly line plan. “fillings” are often there and I doubt Marie Calendar is going to share her tricks with us.

That just leaves the filling and good as my desserts might be – no one really want the same one for a week straight so it does not ‘go bad’. AND sometimes one wants more variety to satisfy “everyone” (cheese cake flavoring would be an example)

So I was happy to see apparently the writers of the King Arthur blog have been getting signals from my brain – so not exactly what I “need” lots of helpful ideas in their blog today Freeze & Bake Tips and the little added gem about what freezes well or less weel was “hidden” in the comments so there may be more freshly baked bread and calzones in the monthly menu –

Enjoy The Making

Wheat

I probably should start by mentioning I am have chronically low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and even more chronically low cholesterol. TH is diabetic, so we usually only allow ourselves a small slice in the evening –

Basic Cracker Crust:
nicely fills a 9 inch pie pan or the bottom of a 10 inch spring form
Ingredients:

1.5 cups finely crushed Graham Crackers or “Digestive Bisquits” or some cookies –
if you don’t get them fine enough – the crust won’t hold together – I have not had good experience with cookies with chips that melt (they burn) and nuts (can’t hold together and often to coarsely ground) so suggest saving chips and nuts for filling and toppings

Important quote: “If you won’t use butter, I can’t help you” Anthony Bourdain
6 Tbl Butter – Melted (lightly salted is fine – if unsalted, that will be fine too
1 Tbl Butter – Softened – use to grease pie or spring pan – not needed if you make the cupcake variation using cupcake papers.

—-
1/4 cup Honey – I tend to like things less sweet so use Honey rather than sugar because it takes less to get the same amount of sweetness – this also helps keep TH’s blood sugar in acceptable limits.
Someday I hope my Bee Keeping friends will send me some of their “flavored” honey to try for flavor variations. But for now, I just use a plain honey from a local keeper of bees.
—-

—— Your Choice COMPLETELY Optional —–
1/2 tsp of the flavor of your choice
My opinion is that the world is a better place with the addition of ground Cinnamon or a rich dark Cocoa powder or both.
— other choices might be – Vanilla Powder – and a recent addition to my flavorings – True Lemon, Lime & Orange Powder – These are great for when the filling is also Citrus flavored.
___
1. Generously Grease Pan of choice
2. Combine Cracker crumbs, Butter and Honey until all crumbs are moist.
3. Press into the pan of choice (pack it as tightly as possible)
4. Bake at 350 F – 8 minutes
5. Remove from oven and “smash it down” while still hot
6a. Use it today: Return to oven as quickly as safely possible and bake an additional 3 minutes
7a. Set aside – okay if it cools and if you like can also be refrigerated if you needed to get the crust done as a partial bake ahead.
8. Prepare Filling and bake according to filling directions.

6b. Freeze for later: allow to cool completely with pan on a rack –
bag/wrap in plastic and store in freezer up to 1 month. (more works, but not sure how it will affect final flavor.
I often make several and “stack” them for storage
cool in refrigerator until well chilled, wrap tightly
7b. Remove from freezer and allow to completely defrost.
=== if you plan a “no bake” filling like chocolate mousse – Preheat over to 350 F and bake about 3 minutes.
8. Prepare Filling and bake according to filling directions.
=== if you plan a baked filling – no pre bake needed.

Notes:
Fully prepared can be tightly covered and stored in refrig for several days without adverse effect on flavor

If you plan to freeze the shells, it is okay to omit the additional flavor and then use the same smaller amount to lightly dust the shell prior to adding filling. Lightly dust should be no more than the amount you would have added to the shell before baking .

Crust can be baked on a sheet pan and while still warm cut into shape to line the bottom of a cupcake paper or even smooshed into the cupcake liner and baked in your cupcake tin.

A neat dessert sampler can be made using the mini-cupcake papers and tins – with the basic recipe and then flavor dust – topped by the flavored filling (yes recipe to come)

again these freeze well, take less than an hour to defrost and the minis are also great semi frozen with a dollop of ice cream, or gelato.

last edited 2015-Sep-06

Part of my thinking about the economics of relying on Food Stamps research – has me going down the path of “ingredients for healthier eating on a tight budget”

My father volunteered in one of the programs when our government thought it was more important to feed its citizens first and enemies of our country second, there was a “food share” program where ANYONE could go, once a month, and buy a box of basic stuff. It usually included a quart of honey. Since those boxes included some perishables, he always came home with at least one purchased box and some of the perishables that would not keep until the next distribution day.

The Public library (dark ages no internet – in fact no such thing as home computers) had a good selection of cookbooks and I found quite a few recipes that used Honey and the other ingredients in those books. My brothers thought honey research was a great hobby. Junk food was not in our family budget – home made desserts were a treat.

Here are some things I learned then and some I am still “thinking about now – five decades later.

Many recipes suggest that Honey can be subbed one for one (1 cup Honey to replace 1 Cup Sugar) I disagree.

Keep in mind that Honey tends to make a strong flavor statement – so a lighter hand is often needed, particularly with fruit of any kind. The obvious benefit is less sugar/carbs added to the diet. Second, if the goal is to add sweetness only, then you can usually reduce the amount of honey by at least 25 percent.

One thing I can say is that I find Honey, once you get the proportions “right” adds a depth of flavor I have never been able to achieve with either processed or raw sugar.

Honey is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs moisture. This is a huge plus for most baked goods because “moist” is usually a desirable attribute.

Crispy toppings, like the crumbs on your fruit pie or cobblers, you may need to either reduce the butter, or increase the dry ingredients (I vote for more topping – bad as it might be for me) Still working on this one.

Honey browns more easily than Cane Sugar – you may need to reduce the oven temperature. How much varies depending on the food being prepared. Experiment or and always check the progress frequently.

I have found that reducing temperature by 25 degree F is a good place to start – still ovens vary – it may take more than one try to get it right. You will likely also need to adjust baking/roasting time – keep and learn to use a good temperature testing is a must have for your kitchen.

A cup of honey contains approximately 1/4 cup of water; this means that you may need to reduce other liquids in your recipe proportionally. In some recipes, you will need to reduce other sources of moisture (fat, water, milk, etc)

With Diabetic (not enough insulin produced “naturally” so high blood sugar, etc) and a Hypoglycemic (too much insulin – low blood sugar leading to other issues) we both need to keep a sharp eye on the amount of sugars and carbs we consume.

If you have medical conditions, always consult your primary or specality physician before making changes in your diet. Honey is said to have about 20% more calories (approximately 22 per teaspoon – “white” sugar is estimated at 17 – since you will use less Honey in most cases, it is probably about even.)

It has been our experience that high fructose corn syrup is at best a problem and at worst a HUGE problem. Lots is being written about many of the artifical sweeteners, and setting health issues aside, I just can’t stand the aftertaste. Perhaps needless to say, I spend a LOT of time reading labels.

According to the information from NIH (National Institute of Health) at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19817641
Honey might be a better choice for the type II diabetic. So long as care is taken to use the same degree and care for it as a diabetic would for Cane Sugar.

Our doctors have always told us that if we find something is the factor causing trouble – then the smart money avoids that ingredient.

Thanks to learning basic skills, a willingness to prepare experiment or two, often superior dishes are easier to make acceptable,
What I have not yet completely worked out is the cost comparison. And, a source for “crystallized” honey (or how to do that myself) so I can do more experimenting

I am hoping life long family friend Richard Focht of Hummingbird Ranch and my other beekeeper friends will be able to help me out with the sourcing or, I will have to “make the rounds” of local beekeepers and see who has what – starting at my favorite local farm stand. Then it will on to Maple Syrup – one of the few candy flavors I have difficulty resisting.

Do you use Honey in your regular diet? Any recipes to share?

In cold weather I find myself often focused on exploring food – TH likes this most of the time and early on in our decades together starting name the experiments he liked. So I could make a point of remembering what I did. In fact most dinners start with “What are we calling this?”

Inspired by a comment in a recipe group – today’s Passing (and perhaps prevailing context) thoughts.

Whether it is food or fiber work or any other aspect of a culture’s roots I prefer the commonality – the desire to give one’s family “comfort” using the best possible ingredients available and affordable.

Do you honestly think any ancestral home maker would have shunned the use of a food processor? Even and perhaps especially in many ways the Amish use technology – they just prefer people power.

Do you really think your great-great-grandmother would have found it preferable to hand sew a shirt rather than use a sewing machine and then have hours of time to spend on the embroidery or other fine details?

Is it really such a sin to use a circle cutter, rather than laboriously hand cut circles for whatever form of stuffed dough you and your family enjoy?

Are those who oppose machines also opposed to taking advantage of their home freezer to that found can be prepared in advance – meaning “on the day” they will have more time with family instead of alone time in the kitchen?

Quite frankly if they were not open to change and the opportunity to improve on their daily lives, would they have crossed an ocean as did the forebears of so many members of this group and migrate to North America?

No, I believe they would have welcomed the means to have time better used in other ways to provide comfort to the hearts and souls of their family and community.

I believe they would as reading accounts of every day life show, have made decisions based on their economic situation and the value of the “machine” – choosing to work and save for those most beneficial – I don’t have a dedicated machine for every food prep process, but I do have a Kitchen Aid with the specialty attachments that “cost justified” based on frequency of use.

Perhaps that is the tradition we should honor, careful use of our resources and not just acquisition for the sake of “owning”.

Yes, we should honor the past, allowing it to empower us in all ways while at the same time moving forward with respect for what brought us to this point.

Nut Rolls are one of those things that have many names throughout Eastern Europe – often with slightly different recipes.  According to my sources, the Polish is “strucle z orzechami”  and refers to the traditional Walnut recipe

Our recipe is the one handed on by my Aunt Juel (my dad’s sister) and it is the one most of us in the family use since she is the one who taught us all.  My brothers and I always preferred my version with Pecan with white raisins, but my Dad like Poppyseed and Mom wanted Prune –

So because I keep misplacing Aunt Juel’s version, putting it someplace “safe” like the internet seemed the thing to do.

Someday I might have to take pictures – all the ingredients are in the cupboard and refrig –

Cold Nut Roll Dough

5 C flour (plus enough to get it unsticky as you knead)

4 eggs, beaten

1 lb butter

1 tsp. salt

2 cakes yeast [or packets]

1/2 pt. light cream

Powdered sugar for rolling

* Flavors to mix with Powered Sugar In Filling
Powdered Cinnamon “to taste”
Powdered Vanilla “to taste”
* NOT traditional, just my successful experiments

Desolve yeast in lukewarm cream.
Mix flour and butter as for pie crust.
Combine eggs, salt, yeast and cream
Gradually add “wet” mix to the flour/butter
Mix really well, you may have to add a little more flour to get the right dough consistency
Roll in powdered sugar.
Will make 6 nut rolls. [
Divide in 6-8 parts and chill dough overnight before rolling

Filling

5 cups of coarse ground nuts and
2.5 cups of sugar.
Mix together.
(I like to include about 1/2-1/3 cup of white raisins lightly coated with powdered sugar & cinnamon or vanilla or both makes it easier to get them to mix into the nuts evenly instead of clumping together and adds another layer of flavors)

Remove one piece of chilled dough
at a time from the refrigerator, keeping the rest chilled.

Roll out that one into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.

Spread one sixth to one-eighth of the filling onto the dough and roll it up, jelly-roll style.

Put on ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper while you do the rest.
DO NOT Have sheet sitting on stove where oven is preheating

Bake 30-35 minutes in 325 degree oven.

This includes notes from Ceil – she makes them smaller.

With thanks to Jennifer Eggers for sharing her notes

Wheat’s Notes: My dad loved the Poppy seed and my mom wanted the prune – somewhere along the line I lost their instructions for making it “from scratch”. It turns out that you can buy pretty much the right amount of Prune or Poppy seed “filling” for a small roll when mixed with stiffened egg white – Look for the Solo Brand in the stupid market baking aisle – that was the one they always said tasted best.

Have tried apple pie filling, with white raisins dusted in flour in hopes of making it a bit less “juicey” resulting in soggy crust. but this dough can be used in a pie pan, weighted and pre-baked for a maybe 5-6 minutes and then bake according to the instructions for pie filling. We like the no sugar added. I do add a LOT more cinnamon/apple pie spice, but then I tend to treat cinnamon like a food group